Mazmur 56:1--60:12
KonteksFor the music director; according to the yonath-elem-rechovim style; 2 a prayer 3 of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath. 4
56:1 Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me! 5
All day long hostile enemies 6 are tormenting me. 7
56:2 Those who anticipate my defeat 8 attack me all day long.
Indeed, 9 many are fighting against me, O Exalted One. 10
I trust in you.
56:4 In God – I boast in his promise 12 –
in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 13 do to me? 14
56:5 All day long they cause me trouble; 15
they make a habit of plotting my demise. 16
56:6 They stalk 17 and lurk; 18
they watch my every step, 19
as 20 they prepare to take my life. 21
56:7 Because they are bent on violence, do not let them escape! 22
In your anger 23 bring down the nations, 24 O God!
56:8 You keep track of my misery. 25
Put my tears in your leather container! 26
Are they not recorded in your scroll? 27
56:9 My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help; 28
I know that God is on my side. 29
56:10 In God – I boast in his promise 30 –
in the Lord – I boast in his promise 31 –
56:11 in God I trust, I am not afraid.
What can mere men 32 do to me? 33
56:12 I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God; 34
I will give you the thank-offerings you deserve, 35
56:13 when you deliver 36 my life from death.
You keep my feet from stumbling, 37
so that I might serve 38 God as I enjoy life. 39
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 41 a prayer 42 of David, written when he fled from Saul into the cave. 43
57:1 Have mercy on me, O God! Have mercy on me!
For in you I have taken shelter. 44
In the shadow of your wings 45 I take shelter
until trouble passes.
57:2 I cry out for help to the sovereign God, 46
to the God who vindicates 47 me.
57:3 May he send help from heaven and deliver me 48
from my enemies who hurl insults! 49 (Selah)
May God send his loyal love and faithfulness!
57:4 I am surrounded by lions;
I lie down 50 among those who want to devour me; 51
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are a sharp sword. 52
57:5 Rise up 53 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 54
57:6 They have prepared a net to trap me; 55
I am discouraged. 56
They have dug a pit for me. 57
They will fall 58 into it! (Selah)
57:7 I am determined, 59 O God! I am determined!
I will sing and praise you!
Awake, O stringed instrument and harp!
I will wake up at dawn! 61
57:9 I will give you thanks before the nations, O Master!
I will sing praises to you before foreigners! 62
57:10 For your loyal love extends beyond the sky, 63
and your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
57:11 Rise up 64 above the sky, O God!
May your splendor cover the whole earth! 65
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 67 a prayer 68 of David.
58:1 Do you rulers really pronounce just decisions? 69
Do you judge people 70 fairly?
58:2 No! 71 You plan how to do what is unjust; 72
you deal out violence in the earth. 73
58:3 The wicked turn aside from birth; 74
liars go astray as soon as they are born. 75
58:4 Their venom is like that of a snake, 76
like a deaf serpent 77 that does not hear, 78
58:5 that does not respond to 79 the magicians,
or to a skilled snake-charmer.
58:6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths!
Smash the jawbones of the lions, O Lord!
58:7 Let them disappear 80 like water that flows away! 81
Let them wither like grass! 82
58:8 Let them be 83 like a snail that melts away as it moves along! 84
Let them be like 85 stillborn babies 86 that never see the sun!
58:9 Before the kindling is even placed under your pots, 87
he 88 will sweep it away along with both the raw and cooked meat. 89
58:10 The godly 90 will rejoice when they see vengeance carried out;
they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
58:11 Then 91 observers 92 will say,
“Yes indeed, the godly are rewarded! 93
Yes indeed, there is a God who judges 94 in the earth!”
For the music director; according to the al-tashcheth style; 96 a prayer 97 of David, written when Saul sent men to surround his house and murder him. 98
59:1 Deliver me from my enemies, my God!
Protect me 99 from those who attack me! 100
59:2 Deliver me from evildoers! 101
Rescue me from violent men! 102
59:3 For look, they wait to ambush me; 103
powerful men stalk 104 me,
but not because I have rebelled or sinned, O Lord. 105
59:4 Though I have done nothing wrong, 106 they are anxious to attack. 107
Spring into action and help me! Take notice of me! 108
59:5 You, O Lord God, the invincible warrior, 109 the God of Israel,
rouse yourself and punish 110 all the nations!
Have no mercy on any treacherous evildoers! (Selah)
59:6 They return in the evening;
they growl 111 like a dog
and prowl around outside 112 the city.
59:7 Look, they hurl insults at me
and openly threaten to kill me, 113
for they say, 114
“Who hears?”
59:8 But you, O Lord, laugh in disgust at them; 115
you taunt 116 all the nations.
59:9 You are my source of strength! I will wait for you! 117
For God is my refuge. 118
59:10 The God who loves me will help me; 119
God will enable me to triumph over 120 my enemies. 121
59:11 Do not strike them dead suddenly,
because then my people might forget the lesson. 122
Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down,
O Lord who shields us! 123
59:12 They speak sinful words. 124
So let them be trapped by their own pride
and by the curses and lies they speak!
59:13 Angrily wipe them out! Wipe them out so they vanish!
Let them know that God rules
in Jacob and to the ends of the earth! (Selah)
59:14 They return in the evening;
they growl 125 like a dog
and prowl around outside 126 the city.
59:15 They wander around looking for something to eat;
they refuse to sleep until they are full. 127
59:16 As for me, I will sing about your strength;
I will praise your loyal love in the morning.
For you are my refuge 128
and my place of shelter when I face trouble. 129
59:17 You are my source of strength! I will sing praises to you! 130
For God is my refuge, 131 the God who loves me. 132
For the music director; according to the shushan-eduth style; 134 a prayer 135 of David written to instruct others. 136 It was written when he fought against Aram Naharaim and Aram-Zobah. That was when Joab turned back and struck down 137 12,000 Edomites 138 in the Valley of Salt. 139
60:1 O God, you have rejected us. 140
You suddenly turned on us in your anger. 141
Please restore us! 142
60:2 You made the earth quake; you split it open. 143
Repair its breaches, for it is ready to fall. 144
60:3 You have made your people experience hard times; 145
you have made us drink intoxicating wine. 146
60:4 You have given your loyal followers 147 a rallying flag,
so that they might seek safety from the bow. 148 (Selah)
60:5 Deliver by your power 149 and answer me, 150
so that the ones you love may be safe. 151
60:6 God has spoken in his sanctuary: 152
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem;
the Valley of Succoth I will measure off. 153
60:7 Gilead belongs to me,
as does Manasseh! 154
Ephraim is my helmet, 155
Judah my royal scepter. 156
60:8 Moab is my washbasin. 157
I will make Edom serve me. 158
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.” 159
60:9 Who will lead me into the fortified city?
Who will bring me to Edom? 160
60:10 Have you not rejected us, O God?
O God, you do not go into battle with our armies.
60:11 Give us help against the enemy,
for any help men might offer is futile. 161
60:12 By God’s power we will conquer; 162
he will trample down 163 our enemies.
[56:1] 1 sn Psalm 56. Despite the threats of his enemies, the psalmist is confident the Lord will keep his promise to protect and deliver him.
[56:1] 2 tn The literal meaning of this phrase is “silent dove, distant ones.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a type of musical instrument.
[56:1] 3 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 57-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[56:1] 4 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm when the Philistines seized him and took him to King Achish of Gath (see 1 Sam 21:11-15).
[56:1] 5 tn According to BDB 983 s.v. II שָׁאַף, the verb is derived from שָׁאַף (sha’af, “to trample, crush”) rather than the homonymic verb “pant after.”
[56:1] 6 tn Heb “a fighter.” The singular is collective for his enemies (see vv. 5-6). The Qal of לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) also occurs in Ps 35:1.
[56:1] 7 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the continuing nature of the enemies’ attacks.
[56:2] 8 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
[56:2] 10 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The
[56:3] 11 tn Heb “[in] a day.”
[56:4] 12 tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:4] 13 tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.
[56:4] 14 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:5] 15 tn Heb “my affairs they disturb.” For other instances of דָּבָר (davar) meaning “affairs, business,” see BDB 183 s.v.. The Piel of עָצַב (’atsav, “to hurt”) occurs only here and in Isa 63:10, where it is used of “grieving” (or “offending”) the Lord’s holy Spirit. Here in Ps 56:5, the verb seems to carry the nuance “disturb, upset,” in the sense of “cause trouble.”
[56:5] 16 tn Heb “against me [are] all their thoughts for harm.”
[56:6] 17 tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.
[56:6] 20 tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”
[56:6] 21 tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”
[56:7] 22 tc Heb “because of wickedness, deliverance to them.” As it stands, the MT makes no sense. The negative particle אַיִן (’ayin, “there is not,” which is due to dittography of the immediately preceding אָוֶן, ’aven, “wickedness”), should probably be added before “deliverance” (see BHS, note a). The presence of an imperative in the next line (note “bring down”) suggests that this line should be translated as a prayer as well, “may there not be deliverance to them.”
[56:7] 23 tn Heb “in anger.” The pronoun “your” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
[56:7] 24 tn Or perhaps “people” in a general sense.
[56:8] 25 tn Heb “my wandering you count, you.” The Hebrew term נֹד (nod, “wandering,” derived from the verbal root נוֹד, nod, “to wander”; cf. NASB) here refers to the psalmist’s “changeable circumstances of life” and may be translated “misery.” The verb סָפַר (safar, “count”) probably carries the nuance “assess” here. Cf. NIV “my lament”; NRSV “my tossings.”
[56:8] 26 tn Traditionally “your bottle.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word נֹאד (no’d, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20). If such a container is metaphorically in view here, then the psalmist seems to be asking God to store up his tears as a reminder of his suffering.
[56:8] 27 tn The word “recorded” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The rhetorical question assumes a positive response (see the first line of the verse).
[56:9] 28 tn Heb “then my enemies will turn back in the day I cry out.” The Hebrew particle אָז (’az, “then”) is probably used here to draw attention to the following statement.
[56:9] 29 tn Heb “this I know, that God is for me.”
[56:10] 30 tn Heb “in God I praise a word.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult. The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except that the third person pronominal suffix is omitted here, where the text has simply “a word” instead of “his word.” (1) One could translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” refers to a song of praise. (2) If one assumes that God’s word is in view, as in v. 4, then one option is to translate, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” In this case the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and “[his] word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. (3) The present translation reflects another option: In this case “I praise [his] word” is a parenthetical statement, with “[his] word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in v. 11, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
[56:10] 31 tn The phrase “in the
[56:11] 32 tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”
[56:11] 33 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
[56:12] 34 tn Heb “upon me, O God, [are] your vows.”
[56:12] 35 tn Heb “I will repay thank-offerings to you.”
[56:13] 36 tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the
[56:13] 37 tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.
[56:13] 38 tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.
[56:13] 39 tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.
[57:1] 40 sn Psalm 57. The psalmist asks for God’s protection and expresses his confidence that his ferocious enemies will be destroyed by their own schemes.
[57:1] 41 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 58-59, 75.
[57:1] 42 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56, 58-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[57:1] 43 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when he fled from Saul and hid in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3.
[57:1] 44 tn Heb “my life has taken shelter.” The Hebrew perfect verbal form probably refers here to a completed action with continuing results.
[57:1] 45 sn In the shadow of your wings. The metaphor likens God to a protective mother bird (see also Pss 17:8; 36:7).
[57:2] 46 tn Heb “to God Most High.” The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ’elyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Ps 47:2.
[57:2] 47 tn Or “avenges in favor of.”
[57:3] 48 tn Heb “may he send from heaven and deliver me.” The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. The second verb, which has a vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, probably indicates purpose. Another option is to take the forms as imperfects expressing confidence, “he will send from heaven and deliver me” (cf. NRSV).
[57:3] 49 tn Heb “he hurls insults, one who crushes me.” The translation assumes that this line identifies those from whom the psalmist seeks deliverance. (The singular is representative; the psalmist is surrounded by enemies, see v. 4.) Another option is to understand God as the subject of the verb חָרַף (kharaf), which could then be taken as a homonym of the more common root חָרַף (“insult”) meaning “confuse.” In this case “one who crushes me” is the object of the verb. One might translate, “he [God] confuses my enemies.”
[57:4] 50 tn The cohortative form אֶשְׁכְּבָה (’eshkÿvah, “I lie down”) is problematic, for it does not seem to carry one of the normal functions of the cohortative (resolve or request). One possibility is that the form here is a “pseudo-cohortative” used here in a gnomic sense (IBHS 576-77 §34.5.3b).
[57:4] 51 tn The Hebrew verb לָהַט (lahat) is here understood as a hapax legomenon meaning “devour” (see HALOT 521 s.v. II להט), a homonym of the more common verb meaning “to burn.” A more traditional interpretation takes the verb from this latter root and translates, “those who are aflame” (see BDB 529 s.v.; cf. NASB “those who breathe forth fire”).
[57:4] 52 tn Heb “my life, in the midst of lions, I lie down, devouring ones, sons of mankind, their teeth a spear and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” The syntax of the verse is difficult. Another option is to take “my life” with the preceding verse. For this to make sense, one must add a verb, perhaps “and may he deliver” (cf. the LXX), before the phrase. One might then translate, “May God send his loyal love and faithfulness and deliver my life.” If one does take “my life” with v. 4, then the parallelism of v. 5 is altered and one might translate: “in the midst of lions I lie down, [among] men who want to devour me, whose teeth….”
[57:5] 54 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[57:6] 55 tn Heb “for my feet.”
[57:6] 56 tn Heb “my life bends low.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
[57:6] 58 tn The perfect form is used rhetorically here to express the psalmist’s certitude. The demise of the enemies is so certain that he can speak of it as already accomplished.
[57:7] 59 tn Or perhaps “confident”; Heb “my heart is steadfast.” The “heart” is viewed here as the seat of the psalmist’s volition and/or emotions.
[57:8] 60 tn Heb “glory,” but that makes little sense in the context. Some view כָּבוֹד (kavod, “glory”) here as a metonymy for man’s inner being (see BDB 459 s.v. II כָּבוֹד 5), but it is preferable to emend the form to כְּבֵדִי (kÿvediy, “my liver”). Like the heart, the liver is viewed as the seat of one’s emotions. See also Pss 16:9; 30:12; 108:1, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 64, and M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:90. For an Ugaritic example of the heart/liver as the source of joy, see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 47-48: “her [Anat’s] liver swelled with laughter, her heart was filled with joy, the liver of Anat with triumph.”
[57:8] 61 tn BDB 1007 s.v. שַׁחַר takes “dawn” as an adverbial accusative, though others understand it as a personified direct object. “Dawn” is used metaphorically for the time of deliverance and vindication the psalmist anticipates. When salvation “dawns,” the psalmist will “wake up” in praise.
[57:9] 62 tn Or “the peoples.”
[57:10] 63 tn Heb “for great upon the sky [or “heavens”] [is] your loyal love.”
[57:11] 64 tn Or “be exalted.”
[57:11] 65 tn Heb “over all the earth [be] your splendor.” Though no verb appears, the tone of the statement is a prayer or wish. (Note the imperative form in the preceding line.)
[58:1] 66 sn Psalm 58. The psalmist calls on God to punish corrupt judges because a vivid display of divine judgment will convince observers that God is the just judge of the world who vindicates the godly.
[58:1] 67 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the heading to Pss 57, 59, and 75.
[58:1] 68 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam) which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 56-57, 59-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[58:1] 69 tn Heb “Really [in] silence, what is right do you speak?” The Hebrew noun אֵלֶם (’elem, “silence”) makes little, if any, sense in this context. Some feel that this is an indictment of the addressees’ failure to promote justice; they are silent when they should make just decisions. The present translation assumes an emendation to אֵלִם (’elim), which in turn is understood as a defectively written form of אֵילִים (’elim, “rulers,” a metaphorical use of אַיִל, ’ayil, “ram”; see Exod 15:15; Ezek 17:13). The rhetorical question is sarcastic, challenging their claim to be just. Elsewhere the collocation of דָּבַר (davar, “speak”) with צֶדֶק (tsedeq, “what is right”) as object means “to speak the truth” (see Ps 52:3; Isa 45:19). Here it refers specifically to declaring what is right in a legal setting, as the next line indicates.
[58:1] 70 tn Heb “the sons of mankind.” The translation assumes the phrase is the object of the verb “to judge.” Some take it as a vocative, “Do you judge fairly, O sons of mankind?” (Cf. NASB; see Ezek 20:4; 22:2; 23:36.)
[58:2] 71 tn The particle אַף (’af, “no”) is used here as a strong adversative emphasizing the following statement, which contrasts reality with the rulers’ claim alluded to in the rhetorical questions (see Ps 44:9).
[58:2] 72 tn Heb “in the heart unjust deeds you do.” The phrase “in the heart” (i.e., “mind”) seems to refer to their plans and motives. The Hebrew noun עַוְלָה (’avlah, “injustice”) is collocated with פָּעַל (pa’al, “do”) here and in Job 36:23 and Ps 119:3. Some emend the plural form עוֹלֹת (’olot, “unjust deeds”; see Ps 64:6) to the singular עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”; see Job 34:32), taking the final tav (ת) as dittographic (note that the following verbal form begins with tav). Some then understand עָוֶל (’avel, “injustice”) as a genitive modifying “heart” and translate, “with a heart of injustice you act.”
[58:2] 73 tn Heb “in the earth the violence of your hands you weigh out.” The imagery is from the economic realm. The addressees measure out violence, rather than justice, and distribute it like a commodity. This may be ironic, since justice was sometimes viewed as a measuring scale (see Job 31:6).
[58:3] 74 tn Heb “from the womb.”
[58:3] 75 tn Heb “speakers of a lie go astray from the womb.”
[58:4] 76 tn Heb “[there is] venom to them according to the likeness of venom of a snake.”
[58:4] 77 tn Or perhaps “cobra” (cf. NASB, NIV). Other suggested species of snakes are “asp” (NEB) and “adder” (NRSV).
[58:4] 78 tn Heb “[that] stops up its ear.” The apparent Hiphil jussive verbal form should be understood as a Qal imperfect with “i” theme vowel (see GKC 168 §63.n).
[58:5] 79 tn Heb “does not listen to the voice of.”
[58:7] 80 tn Following the imperatival forms in v. 6, the prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive expressing the psalmist’s wish. Another option is to take the form as an imperfect (indicative) and translate, “they will scatter” (see v. 9). The verb מָאַס (ma’as; which is a homonym of the more common מָאַס, “to refuse, reject”) appears only here and in Job 7:5, where it is used of a festering wound from which fluid runs or flows.
[58:7] 81 tn Heb “like water, they go about for themselves.” The translation assumes that the phrase “they go about for themselves” is an implied relative clause modifying “water.” Another option is to take the clause as independent and parallel to what precedes. In this case the enemies would be the subject and the verb could be taken as jussive, “let them wander about.”
[58:7] 82 tc The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The text reads literally, “he treads his arrows (following the Qere; Kethib has “his arrow”), like they are cut off/dry up.” It is not clear if the verbal root is מָלַל (malal, “circumcise”; BDB 576 s.v. IV מָלַל) or the homonymic מָלַל (“wither”; HALOT 593-94 s.v. I מלל). Since the verb מָלַל (“to wither”) is used of vegetation, it is possible that the noun חָצִיר (khatsir, “grass,” which is visually similar to חִצָּיו, khitsayv, “his arrows”) originally appeared in the text. The translation above assumes that the text originally was כְּמוֹ חָצִיר יִתְמֹלָלוּ(kÿmo khatsir yitmolalu, “like grass let them wither”). If original, it could have been accidentally corrupted to חִצָּיר כְּמוֹ יִתְמֹלָלוּ (“his arrow(s) like they dry up”) with דָּרַךְ (darakh, “to tread”) being added later in an effort to make sense of “his arrow(s).”
[58:8] 83 tn There is no “to be” verb in the Hebrew text at this point, but a jussive tone can be assumed based on vv. 6-7.
[58:8] 84 tn Heb “like a melting snail [that] moves along.” A. Cohen (Psalms [SoBB], 184) explains that the text here alludes “to the popular belief that the slimy trail which the snail leaves in its track is the dissolution of its substance.”
[58:8] 85 tn The words “let them be like” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. The jussive mood is implied from the preceding context, and “like” is understood by ellipsis (see the previous line).
[58:8] 86 tn This rare word also appears in Job 3:16 and Eccles 6:3.
[58:9] 87 tn Heb “before your pots perceive thorns.”
[58:9] 88 tn Apparently God (v. 6) is the subject of the verb here.
[58:9] 89 tn Heb “like living, like burning anger he will sweep it away.” The meaning of the text is unclear. The translation assumes that within the cooking metaphor (see the previous line) חַי (khay, “living”) refers here to raw meat (as in 1 Sam 2:15, where it modifies בָּשָׂר, basar, “flesh”) and that חָרוּן (kharun; which always refers to God’s “burning anger” elsewhere) here refers to food that is cooked. The pronominal suffix on the verb “sweep away” apparently refers back to the “thorns” of the preceding line. The image depicts swift and sudden judgment. Before the fire has been adequately kindled and all the meat cooked, the winds of judgment will sweep away everything in their path.
[58:10] 90 tn The singular is representative here, as is the singular from “wicked” in the next line.
[58:11] 91 tn Following the imperfects of v. 10, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive probably indicates a result or consequence of what precedes.
[58:11] 92 tn Heb “man.” The singular is representative here.
[58:11] 93 tn Heb “surely [there] is fruit for the godly.”
[58:11] 94 tn The plural participle is unusual here if the preceding אֱלֹהִים (’elohim) is here a plural of majesty, referring to the one true God. Occasionally the plural of majesty does take a plural attributive (see GKC 428-29 §132.h). It is possible that the final mem (ם) on the participle is enclitic, and that it was later misunderstood as a plural ending. Another option is to translate, “Yes indeed, there are gods who judge in the earth.” In this case, the statement reflects the polytheistic mindset of pagan observers who, despite their theological ignorance, nevertheless recognize divine retribution when they see it.
[59:1] 95 sn Psalm 59. The psalmist calls down judgment on his foreign enemies, whom he compares to ravenous wild dogs.
[59:1] 96 tn Heb “do not destroy.” Perhaps this refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a musical instrument. These words also appear in the superscription to Pss 57-58, 75.
[59:1] 97 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-58, 60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[59:1] 98 tn Heb “when Saul sent and they watched his house in order to kill him.”
[59:1] sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm on the occasion when Saul sent assassins to surround David’s house and kill him in the morning (see 1 Sam 19:11). However, the psalm itself mentions foreign enemies (vv. 5, 8). Perhaps these references reflect a later adaptation of an original Davidic psalm.
[59:1] 99 tn Or “make me secure”; Heb “set me on high.”
[59:1] 100 tn Heb “from those who raise themselves up [against] me.”
[59:2] 101 tn Heb “from the workers of wickedness.”
[59:2] 102 tn Heb “from men of bloodshed.”
[59:3] 104 tn The Hebrew verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 56:8.
[59:3] 105 sn The point is that the psalmist’s enemies have no justifiable reason for attacking him. He has neither rebelled or sinned against the
[59:4] 106 tn Heb “without sin.”
[59:4] 107 tn Heb “they run and they are determined.”
[59:4] 108 tn Heb “arise to meet me and see.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qara’, “to meet; to encounter”) here carries the nuance of “to help.”
[59:5] 109 tn Heb “
[59:5] 110 tn Heb “wake up to punish” (see Pss 35:23; 44:23).
[59:6] 111 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:6] 112 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:7] 113 tn Heb “look, they gush forth with their mouth, swords [are] in their lips.”
[59:7] 114 tn The words “for they say” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The following question (“Who hears?”) is spoken by the psalmist’s enemies, who are confident that no one else can hear their threats against the psalmist. They are aggressive because they feel the psalmist is vulnerable and has no one to help him.
[59:8] 115 sn Laugh in disgust. See Pss 2:4; 37:13.
[59:8] 116 tn Or “scoff at”; or “deride”; or “mock” (see Ps 2:4).
[59:9] 117 tc Heb “his strength, for you I will watch.” “His strength” should be emended to “my strength” (see v. 17). Some also emend אֶשְׁמֹרָה (’eshmorah, “I will watch”) to אֱזַמֵּרָה (’ezammerah, “I will sing praises [to you]”) See v. 17.
[59:9] 118 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:10] 119 tn Heb “the God of my [Qere (marginal reading); the Kethib (consonantal text) has “his”] loyal love will meet me.”
[59:10] 120 tn Heb “will cause me to look upon.”
[59:10] 121 tn Heb “those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 56:2.
[59:11] 122 tn Heb “do not kill them, lest my people forget.”
[59:11] sn My people might forget the lesson. Swift, sudden destruction might be quickly forgotten. The psalmist wants God’s judgment to be prolonged so that it might be a continual reminder of divine justice.
[59:11] 123 tn Heb “make them roam around by your strength and bring them down, O our shield, the Lord.”
[59:12] 124 tn Heb “the sin of their mouth [is] the word of their lips.”
[59:14] 125 tn Or “howl”; or “bark.”
[59:14] 126 tn Heb “go around.”
[59:15] 127 tn Heb “if they are not full, they stay through the night.”
[59:16] 128 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:16] 129 tn Heb “and my shelter in the day of my distress.”
[59:17] 130 tn Heb “my strength, to you I will sing praises.”
[59:17] 131 tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).
[59:17] 132 tn Heb “the God of my loyal love.”
[60:1] 133 sn Psalm 60. The psalmist grieves over Israel’s humiliation, but in response to God’s assuring word, he asks for divine help in battle and expresses his confidence in victory.
[60:1] 134 tn The Hebrew expression means “lily of the testimony.” It may refer to a particular music style or to a tune title.
[60:1] 135 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16, 56-59, is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
[60:1] 137 tn In Josh 8:21 and Judg 20:48 the two verbs “turn back” and “strike down” are also juxtaposed. There they refer to a military counter-attack.
[60:1] 138 tn Heb “12,000 of Edom.” Perhaps one should read אֲרַם (’aram, “Aram”) here rather than אֱדוֹם (’edom, “Edom”).
[60:1] 139 sn The heading apparently refers to the military campaign recorded in 2 Sam 10 and 1 Chr 19.
[60:1] 140 sn You have rejected us. See Pss 43:2; 44:9, 23.
[60:1] 141 tn Heb “you broke out upon us, you were angry.”
[60:1] 142 tn The imperfect verbal form here expresses the psalmist’s wish or prayer.
[60:2] 143 tn The verb פָּצַם (patsam, “split open”) occurs only here in the OT. An Arabic cognate means “crack,” and an Aramaic cognate is used in Tg. Jer 22:14 with the meaning “break open, frame.” See BDB 822 s.v. and Jastrow 1205 s.v. פְּצַם.
[60:2] sn You made the earth quake; you split it open. The psalmist uses the imagery of an earthquake to describe the nation’s defeat.
[60:2] 144 sn It is ready to fall. The earth is compared to a wall that has been broken by the force of the earthquake (note the preceding line) and is ready to collapse.
[60:3] 145 tn Heb “you have caused your people to see [what is] hard.”
[60:3] 146 tn Heb “wine of staggering,” that is, intoxicating wine that makes one stagger in drunkenness. Intoxicating wine is here an image of divine judgment that makes its victims stagger like drunkards. See Isa 51:17-23.
[60:4] 147 tn Heb “those who fear you.”
[60:4] 148 tn There is a ray of hope in that God has allowed his loyal followers to rally under a battle flag. The translation assumes the verb is from the root נוּס (nus, “flee”) used here in the Hitpolel in the sense of “find safety for oneself” (HALOT 681 s.v. נוס) or “take flight for oneself” (BDB 630-31 s.v. נוּס). Another option is to take the verb as a denominative from נֵס (nes, “flag”) and translate “that it may be displayed” (BDB 651 s.v. II נסס) or “that they may assemble under the banner” (HALOT 704 s.v. II נסס). Here קֹשֶׁט (qoshet) is taken as an Aramaized form of קֶשֶׁת (qeshet, “bow”; BDB 905-6 s.v. קֶשֶׁת), though some understand the homonymic קֹשְׁטְ (qosht, “truth”) here (see Prov 22:21; cf. NASB). If one follows the latter interpretation, the line may be translated, “so that they might assemble under the banner for the sake of truth.”
[60:5] 149 tn Heb “right hand.”
[60:5] 150 tn The Qere (marginal reading) has “me,” while the Kethib (consonantal text) has “us.”
[60:5] 151 tn Or “may be rescued.” The lines are actually reversed in the Hebrew text, “So that the ones you love may be rescued, deliver by your power and answer me.”
[60:6] 152 tn Heb “in his holy place.”
[60:6] 153 sn Shechem stands for the territory west of the Jordan, the Valley of Succoth for the region east of the Jordan.
[60:7] 154 sn Gilead was located east of the Jordan. Half of the tribe of Manasseh lived east of the Jordan in the region of Bashan.
[60:7] 155 tn Heb “the protection of my head.”
[60:7] sn Ephraim, named after one of Joseph’s sons, was one of two major tribes located west of the Jordan. By comparing Ephraim to a helmet, the Lord suggests that the Ephraimites played a primary role in the defense of his land.
[60:7] 156 sn Judah, like Ephraim, was the other major tribe west of the Jordan. The Davidic king, symbolized here by the royal scepter, came from this tribe.
[60:8] 157 sn The metaphor of the washbasin, used to rinse one’s hands and feet, suggests that Moab, in contrast to Israel’s elevated position (vv. 6-7), would be reduced to the status of a servant.
[60:8] 158 tn Heb “over Edom I will throw my sandal.” The point of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Some interpret this as idiomatic for “taking possession of,” i.e., “I will take possession of Edom.” Others translate עַל (’al) as “to” and understand this as referring to a master throwing his dirty sandal to a servant so that the latter might dust it off.
[60:8] 159 tc Heb “over me, O Philistia, shout in triumph.” The translation follows the text of Ps 108:9. When the initial עֲלֵיוֹ (’aleyo, “over”) was misread as עָלַי (’alay, “over me”), the first person verb form was probably altered to an imperative to provide better sense to the line.
[60:9] 160 sn In v. 9 the psalmist speaks again and acknowledges his need for help in battle. He hopes God will volunteer, based on the affirmation of sovereignty over Edom in v. 8, but he is also aware that God has seemingly rejected the nation (v. 10, see also v. 1).
[60:11] 161 tn Heb “and futile [is] the deliverance of man.”
[60:12] 162 tn Heb “in God we will accomplish strength.” The statement refers here to military success (see Num 24:18; 1 Sam 14:48; Pss 108:13; 118:15-16).
[60:12] 163 sn Trample down. On this expression see Ps 44:5.
